The Japanese government is to offer Liberia 4 million U.S. dollars to carry out an agricultural project aimed at speeding up agriculture activities in the West African country, Liberian Deputy Agriculture Minister for Planning and Development James Logan said here on Saturday.

As a follow-up project of this year's World Food Day which falls on Oct. 16 under the theme "Investing in Agriculture for Food Security," Logan said the project would be in Nimba County, north Liberia.

"The project will include the extension of agriculture services throughout the country and the adoption of the regional Songhai development process through which agricultural facilities will be rehabilitated and community-based organizations strengthened," he said.

He added that it is hoped that by 2008 there would be a significant improvement in the agricultural sector in the country.

Liberia is emerging from 14 years of civil conflict with tens of thousands of refugees returning home, many of whom are settling in the rural areas in which agriculture is one of the prime sources of livelihood.

Logan also indicated that a national agricultural policy was being worked out to encourage private farmers and assist small farmers in a gradual process towards commercial farming in the country.

Source: Xinhua